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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. last — finally
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cell — a phone
  6. race — a contest
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. cell — in biology
  10. last — final
  11. net — for catching
  12. vault — a safe
  13. court — for sport
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. court — of law
  18. last — to go on
  19. present — there
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. race — humankind
  23. court — of a king
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com